Keela in Kyrgyzstan
Photographer Clorroe Cam
Settled in a mountain basin in the Tian Shans (Kyrgyzstan) at 3000m, I'm eating a flapjack below an unnamed peak, basking in the sunshine after a 4 hour trek to this point. A herd of high altitude cows has joined our small group of six for lunch, grazing next to glacial river waters close by, unfazed by our presence. This is our halfway stop for the day, before heading back down the valley.
I'm here with Global Expedition Medics for acclimatisation ahead of Beyond the Ultimate's Mountain Ultra, a momentous five stage 200km ultra-run though the Tian Shan Mountains, including 10,500m of elevation and reaching peaks just shy of 4000m.
Later in the week I'll capture runners traversing Ala Kul - the world's second highest glacial lake, with turquoise waters and vistas for days, along with the serenity of valleys only visited by the local nomadic herders moving livestock.
Accommodation consists of tents and yurts, food is ration packs and high calorie snacks, water is filtered from streams and we'll contend with temperatures ranging from 25°c to below zero.
As a photographer, safety and risk-mitigation in these conditions is paramount. Along with my camera kit, I've packed vital layers: the warm solo jacket, Pinnacle waterproof trousers and jacket and am wearing merino wool base layers to manage the ever-changing demands of mountain photography. One moment I'm static on high peaks, as the rain drives in, the next I'm running across ridge lines in the sun. No two moments are the same here and so I need a lot from my kit - Keela absolutely provided in all moments.
Halfway through my flapjack, I hear a rumble and turn around. The peak that was once visible has since disappeared under a grey cloud and thunder bellows from across the valley. In an instant, one hint of rain has turned into a downpour. My Keela Pinnacle trousers and are on within seconds and next I throw on my Pinnacle jacket for instant protection. It's time to descend.
Given the weather, multiple river crossings and potential for getting significantly colder, we move at pace. What seems like a bit of rain here can quickly turn rivers from steady streams to raging torrents, as the water from the mountains feed the valleys below.
Combining the speed we're walking and the fact that my bag weighs 17% of my body weight, it's time to open the air vents on my jacket. After 30 minutes, we move from rocky technical terrain onto alpine paths - which have now turned to muddy streams, rain continuing to fall. Another hour of descending, completed with slips and falls, and we're back into the valley.
A herd of horses stands and watches as we remove our layers, the sun erasing any suggestion of the weather we've just experienced. The only evidence of the adventure existing on my waterproof trousers, wet feet and captured on my camera.
Huge thanks again to Keela for their support - Each item performed exactly as needed and I genuinely look forward to putting everything through its paces across the coming months. My favourite item on this trip was my Solo Jacket. I especially loved coming back to camp after a full day in the mountains, putting this on before the cold set in (I slept in it every night!) and found it was incredibly comfortable.
